Article Impact Level: HIGH Data Quality: STRONG Summary of Nutrients, 17(2), 323. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17020323 Dr. Holly Wild et al.
Points
- This study investigated the association between egg consumption and mortality in older adults (aged 70+), focusing on all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality.
- Eating eggs 1–6 times per week was linked to a 17% lower risk of all-cause mortality and a 29% lower risk of CVD mortality compared to rare or no egg consumption.
- Older adults with moderate to high diet quality who consumed eggs weekly had a 33% lower risk of CVD-related death.
- Individuals with high cholesterol who ate eggs weekly had a 27% lower risk of CVD-related mortality than those who rarely or never ate eggs.
- Moderate egg consumption may benefit longevity and heart health, supporting its inclusion in dietary guidelines, even for those with dyslipidemia.
Summary
This study evaluated the association between egg consumption and mortality in older adults, explicitly assessing its impact on all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. Conducted as part of the ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons (ALSOP) sub-study, it involved 8,756 adults aged 70 years and older. Participants self-reported their egg consumption frequency (never/infrequently, weekly, or daily), and mortality outcomes were tracked over a median follow-up of 5.9 years. The results indicated that consuming eggs 1–6 times per week was associated with a 17% reduction in all-cause mortality (HR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.71–0.96) and a 29% reduction in CVD-related mortality (HR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.54–0.92) compared to those who consumed eggs rarely or never. No statistically significant association was found between egg consumption and cancer mortality.
The study further explored the relationship between egg consumption and mortality across varying levels of diet quality. It found that participants with moderate to high diet quality who consumed eggs weekly had a 33% lower risk of CVD-related death. Notably, the study also examined the impact of egg consumption in individuals with dyslipidemia, revealing a 27% lower risk of CVD-related death in those with high cholesterol who ate eggs weekly compared to those who consumed eggs rarely or never.
These findings suggest that moderate egg consumption (1–6 eggs per week) may protect mortality, particularly for CVD, in older adults. The results could inform future dietary guidelines, highlighting the potential benefits of egg consumption in improving longevity and heart health, even in individuals with dyslipidemia.
Link to the article: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/2/323
References Wild, H., Gasevic, D., Woods, R. L., Ryan, J., Wolfe, R., Chen, Y., Govindaraju, T., McNeil, J. J., McCaffrey, T., Beilin, L. J., Ilic, D., & Owen, A. J. (2025). Egg consumption and mortality: A prospective cohort study of australian community-dwelling older adults. Nutrients, 17(2), 323. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17020323
